KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 14): At its 42nd Chairs’ Meeting in Penang, the Asean Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) approved the guiding principles for its upcoming five-year action plan and unveiled collaborative projects, including a roadmap for carbon markets and enhanced sustainability finance measures.

The meeting, chaired and hosted by the Securities Commission of Malaysia, endorsed the Strategic Thrusts and Key Principles for the ACMF Action Plan 2026-2030 (AP2026), which is scheduled for release in October 2025. 

AP2026 will succeed the current ACMF Action Plan 2021-2025, the organisation said in a statement. 

A major highlight of the meeting was a new collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA) to develop a Carbon Market Ecosystem Roadmap. This initiative seeks to create a structured approach for Asean members to develop and regulate carbon markets.

The ACMF is also exploring a Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience, and Sustainable Finance (MARS) Framework to support climate adaptation finance in the region, it said.

The forum also provided updates on sustainability-related disclosures, including continued engagement with the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). ACMF members participated in discussions with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) and held a high-level dialogue with the ISSB under the ACMF-IFRS Foundation Dialogue on IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (AID) protocol.

Furthering green finance initiatives, the ACMF reviewed progress on the Asia Green Transformation Consortium (Asia GX Consortium), a partnership involving Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA), the Asean Working Committee on Capital Market Development (WC-CMD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and private sector stakeholders.

The meeting also addressed developments in digital asset regulation, with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand and the Securities Commission Malaysia sharing insights on licensing and supervision frameworks. This aligns with ongoing efforts to harmonise regional regulatory approaches towards emerging digital financial instruments.